An international art extravaganza

Works of all schools of art — realism, abstractism, surrealism and classical – are on display at Artscene Gallery

Karachi

Clifton’s Artscene Gallery is the venue of a display of works by artists from 38 countries, a gathering perhaps the like of which has never been seen before in town.

Even though the artists themselves could not turn up from the respective countries, their works adorned the walls of the two-storey of the gallery and evinced interest from the large gathering of visitors and art enthusiasts.

Sharmila Faruqui, MPA and former special assistant to the chief minister for culture and tourism, performed the opening ceremony by cutting the tape.

On display are works of all schools of art — realism, abstractism, surrealism and classical.

Titled “Pearls of Peace: the 1st International Watercolour Biennale, Pakistan 2016”, the exhibition was actually put up in March this year in Hyderabad, and before the works are returned to the owners it was thought that it would be better if they were also displayed in Karachi.

The Pakistan section has a whole lot of winsome presentations, depicting the country’s culture and landscape. There’s Zulkfiqar Ali Zulfi from Lahore whose watercolour Punjab landscape is winsome

indeed.  It is a collage of low hills, lush fields and a brook which would be the dream of a real nature lover. It is highly eye-catching.

Then there’s Chaiwala by Imran Khan, the portrait of an elderly man, ostensibly from the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, preparing tea at his

tea shop in the most indigenous way. It is a precise representation of the lifestyle, the daily lives of the majority of our people, the commonfolk.

Then there’s Katchi Abadi, also a watercolour by Masood Khan, which very precisely depicts the dwelling style and dwelling places of our slum population. Khan has very aptly captured the modest (read poverty-riddled) living.

Of course there are also abstracts by Qudsia Nisar, just random dabs of colour, for which one needs a really fertile imagination to determine the subject.

There’s Suriya Barilla from Nepal whose Nepal Landscape depicts a subject that is of extreme interest to nature lovers and adventure seekers. Titled “Nepal Countryside”, it is a depiction of the majestic Himalayas, showing a steep mountain with thick coniferous foliage.

A really impressive work by Dario Ortiz Robledo from Mexico, a 50x46cm portrait of a young woman, titled “Madonna”, depicts youthful grace and is beautifully expressed through watercolour.

Integam Jafarov is another impressive artist from Azerbaijan. His “Sad Old Man” so precisely depicts the anguish that goes with old age. It is the portrait of a man in the throes of the last part of his life. His grey (read snow white) beard and eyebrows and the forlorn expression in his eyes have been so aptly captured by Jafarov. It really depicts the anguish of old age.

John Salminen’s entry from the US is also profound. It depicts a lone figure seated on a bench surrounded by red foliage, depicting autumn. Surprisingly, it is titled “Autumn High Line”, even though in the US autumn is referred to as fall.

The exhibition featuring the works of 198 artists from 38 countries runs up until August 13. It is a must-see for all art fans, professionals or amateurs.

The original exhibition in March at Jamshoro, Hyderabad, was organised by the International Watercolour Society of Pakistan, and the Centre of Excellence, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology.